I am Justin Borges, and I help buyers across the San Gabriel Valley, including with older homes. Here is how I work on a South Pasadena Craftsman purchase and the questions to put to me and to any other agent.
A beautiful porch can make a house feel right before you have learned much about it. My job is to help you slow down enough to understand what you are buying, decide which questions matter to you and make an offer you can stand behind. No strategy guarantees a seller will choose your offer.
To discuss your search, call me at (213) 262-5092.
What does a Craftsman-focused buyer's agent actually do?
I start with your priorities: how you plan to live in the house, which original details matter to you, what work you are willing to take on and what would make you walk away. That gives us a useful filter when the listing photographs are appealing but the disclosures or inspection raise questions.
On a tour, I look for things worth asking about, not just things worth admiring. A change in floor level, a patched ceiling or a window that will not open is a reason to ask for more information, not a diagnosis. I want to know what the seller knows, what documents exist and which qualified professional can assess the condition. I also want to hear your plans: a buyer who hopes to change the exterior has different questions from someone who wants to preserve it.
South Pasadena's historic homes guidelines, checked 2026-11-06, describe features such as broad porches, exposed rafter tails, wood siding and grouped windows. Those details help us read the architecture, but a visual match does not establish a home's condition or designation.
I would start by comparing the features you want to keep with the city guidelines: broad porches, exposed rafter tails, wood siding and grouped windows.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
How should an agent help with inspections and disclosures?
I help organize the information, identify gaps and make sure you have a chance to ask the people doing the work clear questions. A general inspector may recommend further evaluation of a foundation, roof, electrical system, plumbing or another concern. The right specialists depend on the house and the findings, not a generic promise that every old house has the same problem.
For a South Pasadena Craftsman, I would line up the general inspection and any recommended specialist follow-up before the relevant deadline. Our inspection and waiver guide explains the contract decision. California Civil Code 2079 and related sections, checked 2026-11-06, describe the agent's visual inspection and its limits, including normally inaccessible areas and public records.
To discuss an inspection plan, text me.
What should we look for in the paperwork?
I compare the seller's disclosures and available reports with what we saw at the house. If a disclosure mentions past water intrusion, for example, I would ask what happened, what was repaired and whether invoices or reports are available. A document can answer a question, raise another or show that the answer is still unknown.
For South Pasadena permit records and historic research, I would start with the South Pasadena Public Library's house research guide, checked 2026-11-06, and our guide to South Pasadena streets and Craftsman homes.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
How can historic status affect a purchase?
I would check the property's status with South Pasadena Planning before committing to exterior changes. Our street and historic research guide covers the process. The city's Planning Division historic preservation resources, checked 2026-11-06, say Cultural Heritage Commission approval is required for alteration, demolition or relocation of an inventory property and for new construction affecting one. The Cultural Heritage Commission, checked 2026-11-06, advises the City Council on landmarks and historic districts.
For help with a property question, call me.
What should you ask when interviewing a buyer's agent?
Ask for specific examples of the work, without expecting private client details. An agent should be able to explain how they handle uncertainty and what they do when a specialist or the city needs to answer a question.
| Ask the agent | Listen for |
|---|---|
| How many older homes have you helped buyers through? | Relevant experience and a clear account of the agent's role. |
| Who do you bring in for specialist inspections? | A plan based on the property and the inspector's findings. |
| How do you check designation and open permits? | Property-specific research and direct questions to Planning. |
| How do you advise on contingencies? | An explanation of choices, deadlines and risks before you sign. |
| How do you negotiate after inspection? | A way to prioritize findings and present a supported request. |
Also ask who will be your main contact, how quickly you can review a listing together and how the agent communicates when a seller responds. You deserve an explanation you understand, including where an answer depends on someone else.
For my own track record, the Justin Borges MLS export records 89 closed sales, averaging 103.6% of list price, with a 16-day median time on market. Ask how that experience relates to the South Pasadena home you are considering.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
What should you understand before signing with an agent?
Before we tour South Pasadena homes, ask to review the buyer representation agreement and agency disclosure carefully. Discuss the services, compensation, when compensation is due, the length of the agreement and how it can end. Ask who represents whom in a transaction and bring any legal questions to a California real estate attorney.
California Civil Code 1670.50 and 2079.14, checked 2026-11-06, address the written buyer-broker agreement and agency disclosure. The agreement must be executed as soon as practicable and no later than the buyer's offer; the agency disclosure comes before signing. The law also addresses the agreement's term and renewal. Ask me to walk through the documents with you before you sign.
To discuss representation, text me.
How do we write an offer a seller will take seriously?
For a South Pasadena Craftsman, we begin with what you can afford, the property information available and the terms you are comfortable accepting. I ask the listing side what matters to the seller, then help you weigh the response against your own needs. Price matters, but clarity, financing, timing and contingencies can matter too. The seller decides what to accept.
Before you sign, we walk through what each contingency does and when decisions are due under the proposed agreement. A shorter period may require inspectors and documents to be lined up promptly. Waiving a protection can leave you exposed to a condition you have not understood. I would line up the inspection plan before deciding which terms to offer.
Our companion guide, Should I Waive the Inspection to Win a Craftsman Bungalow?, explores that decision. My MLS export records 89 closed sales, averaging 103.6% of list price, with a 16-day median time on market. Those are my figures, not South Pasadena market statistics.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
What happens if the inspection finds a problem?
For a South Pasadena Craftsman, I would first read the report rather than react to a headline. I would ask the inspector to explain the finding, whether more evaluation is needed and what remains outside the inspection's scope. If a specialist is appropriate, we seek that person's assessment and any available estimate while paying attention to the contract's deadlines.
Then we decide what matters most to you. A request grounded in a documented concern is easier to explain than a long list of minor preferences. Depending on the agreement and the facts, you may want to discuss a repair, a credit, proceeding without a change or exercising an available contingency.
I present your position and communicate the seller's response so you can make the decision. You decide whether the house is worth the remaining risk. The seller may agree, decline or propose something different; my MLS export records 89 closed sales and a 16-day median time on market.
To talk through an inspection finding, call me.
What experience does my team bring?
I help buyers across the San Gabriel Valley, including with older homes. That means helping buyers connect the appeal of an older house to practical questions about its condition, records and the work they hope to do. I want you to have a clear picture of the house as well as a clear strategy for the offer.
Across my own 89 closed MLS sales, the average sale price was 103.6% of list price and the median time on market was 16 days, according to the Justin Borges MLS export dated 2026-10-29. Those are my own figures, not South Pasadena market statistics or a prediction for your purchase. Ask me how our experience relates to the specific home and representation you need.
Ask how that record relates to the South Pasadena home and representation you need: 89 closed sales, 103.6% of list price on average and a 16-day median time on market.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
Where should you begin looking in South Pasadena?
Start with the daily life you want: the space you need, your commute, the setting you prefer and the amount of work you can take on. Then look at individual homes rather than assuming every house on a street has the same character or historic status. Our guide to South Pasadena streets and Craftsman homes is a starting point for the location question; confirm a particular property's status with Planning.
For context on the community, see the Living in South Pasadena Guide. The separate question of how homes are selling against list price calls for verified current data. I would start with the specific house and its records. For inventory properties, the city requires Cultural Heritage Commission approval for alterations, demolition or relocation.
To discuss your South Pasadena search, text me.
What should you have ready for a first call?
- Your preferred location within South Pasadena and the features you need in a home.
- Your financing plan and any questions you want to settle with your lender.
- The listing or property you are considering, if you have one, and any disclosures already available.
- The changes you hope to make and the original features you most want to keep.
- Your comfort with repairs, unanswered questions and specialist inspections.
- Your questions about representation, compensation, contingencies and communication.
You do not need every answer before we speak. The point is to identify what we need to learn, who can answer it and which decisions cannot wait until after an offer. For a South Pasadena inventory property, include any planned exterior changes: Cultural Heritage Commission approval is required for alterations.
Ready to move forward? Let's talk.
Frequently asked questions
Can Justin Borges help me buy a Craftsman in South Pasadena?
Yes. I help buyers across the San Gabriel Valley, including with older homes. We can discuss your search, the house-specific questions and the offer decisions you want help with.
Should I waive the inspection to make my offer stronger?
Do not make that decision without understanding the property, the contract and the risk you are taking. Ask your agent to explain the investigation contingency and discuss the consequences with a California real estate attorney when you need legal advice.
Does every Craftsman in South Pasadena have historic designation?
Do not assume a style establishes designation. Check the individual property with South Pasadena Planning and ask how any inventory listing or designation applies to the work you have in mind.
What else should buyers ask?
Can my agent inspect the house for me?
An agent can point out visible questions and help coordinate reports, but that walk-through does not replace an inspection by a qualified professional. Ask the inspector what was accessible, what was excluded and whether a specialist should look further.
How do I find Craftsman homes in South Pasadena?
Start with a search for homes that fit your needs, then examine each listing and the property itself. The city inventory can help with house research, but ask Planning to confirm the status of a particular property.
What should I ask an agent before signing an agreement?
Ask about older-home buyer experience, specialist inspections, permit and designation research, contingency advice, services, compensation and termination. Read the agreement and agency disclosure carefully, and ask a California real estate attorney about terms you do not understand.
For help applying these questions to a home, call me at (213) 262-5092.
Sources
- City of South Pasadena, Residential Design Guidelines, Part II: Historic Homes, checked 2026-11-06
- California Civil Code 2079 and related sections, checked 2026-11-06
- South Pasadena Public Library, House Research, checked 2026-11-06
- City of South Pasadena, Planning Division historic preservation resources, checked 2026-11-06
- City of South Pasadena, Cultural Heritage Commission, checked 2026-11-06
- California Civil Code 1670.50 and 2079.14, checked 2026-11-06
- Justin Borges MLS export, 2026-10-29, as recorded in the team's facts file
Justin Borges
Team Lead, The Borges Real Estate TeamDRE #01940318
With over 13 years in Southern California real estate, Justin specializes in probate sales, trust properties, and character homes. His expertise in 1031 exchanges and historic preservation has helped hundreds of clients navigate complex real estate transactions.